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Early voting starts today in Georgia

This is projected to be a historic election year in the state of Georgia

ATLANTA — Early voting starts today in Georgia, which is considered a key battleground state. As the political energy in metro Atlanta and the Peach State intensifies, so does the push for a large voter turnout.

With early voting kicking off, this is projected to be a historic election year in the state of Georgia, which makes the countdown to election day even more interesting. The general election is expected to draw more than 5 million Georgians out to the polls or voting by mail, according to election officials.

Find early voting locations, here.

11Alive political analyst Andra Gillespie said what makes this year historic is the level of engagement and enthusiasm for politics, credited to the pandemic and protests, with high interest in topics such as social justice, healthcare, and the economy.

“We anticipate that turnout is going to be robust and record-breaking for a couple of reasons,” Gillespie said.

Early voting starts Oct. 12 and runs until Oct. 30, a three-week window for people who want to get a head start.

Atlanta community leader Hannah Gebresilassie, and founder of the Promote Positivity Movement, says early voting is crucial to avoid the last-minute scramble to the polls.

“We can not wait until Nov. 3 to get out there and use our voting power,” she said.

She says this moment in political interest, is inspiring and a sign of the times.

“Being able to utilize that voting power will give us an opportunity to turn those visions and turn those ideas into policies,” Gebrselassie said.

Check out 11Alive's voter guide to get answers to common voting questions related to early voting, absentee ballots and rules at the polls.

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